Dewayne Dedmon agrees to go to Hawks on 2-year, $14 million deal

Dewayne Dedmon has agreed to go to the Atlanta Hawks on a two-year deal worth $14 million, his agent said.

The deal includes a player option in Year 2, according to Dedmon's agent, Mike Silverman.

Dedmon had declined his $3 million option with the Spurs for the 2017-18 season to become an unrestricted free agent.

A 7-footer, he averaged 17.5 minutes, 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in 76 games (37 starts) during the regular season and three in the postseason. San Antonio led the NBA in regular-season defense, and produced its second-best defensive rating with Dedmon on the floor, surrendering 97.5 points per 100 possessions.

For the Spurs, the signing of Dedmon in the 2016 offseason seemed somewhat of a steal considering he joined the club on a two-year, $6 million deal as a relative unknown, and then made meaningful contributions for the majority of the season.

When Pau Gasol suffered a fractured left hand in January, Dedmon took over the starting job at center on Jan. 31, and in his first 11 games in that role, he averaged 8.1 points and 10 rebounds.

Throughout the season, Dedmon's minutes gradually increased from 12.7 per game in November to 24.7 in February, but the center appeared to fall out of favor during the club's opening-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. He started the first three games of that series, but did not log another start throughout the playoffs.

The center told ESPN he was unsure of why he had suddenly fallen out of favor.

Dedmon had spent the three seasons prior to 2016-17 as a part-time starter for the Orlando Magic as somewhat of a raw project.

Interestingly, because of his mother's strict religious beliefs, Dedmon didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 18, and he went undrafted in 2013 out of Southern California.

Dedmon first entered the NBA that following November on a 10-day contract with Golden State. In four seasons, he has averaged 4.3 points and 5.1 rebounds.